DEFINITIONS:
Fartlek: 15 minute warm up, 10 reps of 2 minutes swift running with 1 minute light jog, 15 minute cool down
Hill Repeats: Just like they sound, you run up and down a hill. Repeatedly. Preferably swiftly. Optimum repeats should start at your "slowest" and get progressively faster, finishing with your fastest time.
Stride-outs: Similar to fartlek, repeats of determined distance or time of swift running with a "rest" in between
Tempo Run: first mile easy, middle mileage at "pushing your pace" effort, last mile easy
Progression Run: after first 2/3 to 3/4 of distance, pick up the pace and push for the last 2 to 3 miles
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING:
RUNNING ARMS
- With light weight dumbbells (less than 7 pounds) stand in front of a mirror and hold the weights in your hands (“lightly but firmly”).
- Begin swinging the arms in slightly exaggerated sweeps as in imitating good running form at about a rate of one second per swing (each time the left hand comes up it should be counted as one swing).
- Lift the arm as high as the sternum on the upswing and gently brush past the tops of the shorts on the downswing. Each time the left hand comes up, count one rep.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 20 to 25 repetitions with short breaks between each set.
- Stand with feet slightly wider than should-distance apart, knee soft and toe pointed out slightly
- Hold the ends of the dumbbell horizontally in both hands, arms extended at shoulder height, abs engaged.
- Squat down, bringing the weight between the legs, keeping body weight on the heels; continue to look forward.
- Stand up quickly, pushing through the heels and into your glutes and core and using momentum from your legs to propel the weight to chest level
- Repeat, lowering the weight between the legs
- Do 15 reps.
(Perform one of the three types of push-ups below, the one you can do with your good form)
Wall Push-Up
- Stand about 3 feet from a wall with hands outstretched, facing the wall
- Place you hands on the wall.
- Stiffen your torso by contracting your core and abs (“bracing”)
- Lean your body towards the wall, then push your body back to the starting position
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10
- Kneel on the floor and bring your feet together behind you
- Staying on your knees, bend forward to place your hands on the floor, your hands shoulder-width apart with your fingers facing forward.
- Shift your weight forward until your shoulders are positioned directly over your hands
- Stiffen your torso by contracting your core and abs (“bracing”)
- Lower your body towards the floor, maintaining a straight torso, until your chest or chin touches the floor. Your elbows should remain close to your sides or flare outwards slightly
- Press upwards through your arms, maintaining a straight torso, until your arms are fully extended at the elbows
- Repeat
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10
- Lie chest-down with your hands as shoulder level, palms flat on the floor and slightly more than shoulder-width apart, feet together and legs straight & parallel to each other, toes tucked under your feet.
- Stiffen your torso by contracting your core and abs (bracing”)
- Straighten your arms as you push your body up off the floor. Exhale as you straighten your arms
- Lower your body towards the floor, maintaining a straight torso, until your chest or chin touches the floor. Your elbows should remain close to your sides or flare outwards slightly
- Repeat
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10
- Lie chest-down with your hands as shoulder level, palms flat on the floor and slightly more than shoulder-width apart, feet together and legs straight & parallel to each other, toes tucked under your feet.
- Stiffen your torso by contracting your core and abs (bracing”)
- Straighten your arms as you push your body up off the floor. Exhale as you straighten your arms (Top of Straight Leg Push-up).
- While maintaining a rigid torso (“bracing”) and full extension in your arms and legs, exhale and SLOWLY move your body into an inverted-V. Allow a slight bend in the knees if required to achieve the inverted-V position. Heels down, buttock up.
- Inhale and SLOWLY return your body to the starting push-up position.
- Repeat
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10
- Stand in an upright position (once you have master the move (start with just your body weight) you can add dumbbells. If you are holding dumbbells, they should be held at your sides with a neutral grip)
- Lift on foot off, bending the knee of the raised leg so that your raised foot is slightly behind you. NOTE: Stand next to a wall with a hand near the wall for balance if you need.
- Squat down (keeping your hips even and your knee over your foot) until the leg you are standing on is bent to NO MORE THAN 50-degrees
- Push back up
- Repeat
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 on each leg
- Stand 6 – 12 “ away from a wall with your feet hip-width apart, facing the wall
- Extend your arms to place your palms on the wall, level with your chest or shoulders
- Slowly lift your heels off the floor keeping your knees straight. Use your hands on the wall to support your body. Hold your raised position briefly
- Slowly lower your heels back towards the floor
- Repeat
- Do 2 – 3 sets of 10
- Simply stand with your back to a wall, with your heels about the length of your feet away from the wall.
- Then, lean back until your buttocks and shoulders rest against the wall.
- Keeping your heels on the floor, bring your toes as far toward your shins as you can, and then lower your feet back toward the ground, but do not allow your forefeet to contact the ground before beginning the next repeat.
- Simply lower them until they are close to the ground, and then begin another repetition. Complete about 12 to 15 reps.
- Once you have finished the reps, maintain your basic position with your back against the wall, bring your toes as far toward your shins as you can and then quickly move your feet up/down 15 times over a very small range of motion (smaller than the nearly full range you use for the basic reps; the emphasis here is on quickness). These short, quick ankle movements are called pulses
- Start with only one set. As you gain strength over time, make the wall shin raises progressively more difficult by advancing from one set to two and then three sets. You can also add light weight dumbbells (up to 10 pounds per hand) by placing the dumbbells on your quads. It's OK to walk around for 15 to 30 seconds between sets. This will decrease the chance of you developing shin splints and help you recover from them if you already have them.
BICYCLE EXERCISE
- Lie face up on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head
- Bring the knees in toward the chest and lift your shoulders off the ground without pulling on the neck. Move your shoulders, not your head, neck, or arms.
- Straighten the left leg out while you turn your upper body toward the right, bringing your left shoulder towards your right knee
- Switch sides, bringing your right shoulder towards your left knee
- Continue alternating sides in a “pedaling” motion for 12 to 16 reps
- Lie on your back and extend your legs up toward the ceiling
- Lace your fingers behind your head
- Move your shoulders, not your head, neck, or arms, up toward the ceiling; creating a “u” shape with the torso, or extend your arms straight and parallel to your legs and “push” your hands toward the ceiling with you shoulders.
- Lower down and repeat for 12 to 16 reps
- Lie face down on the floor resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor
- Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows
- Keep your back flat, in a STRAIGHT LINE from head to heels.
- Contract your abs, “bring your bellybutton towards your spine”
- Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3 to 5 reps.
CHEST STRETCH
- Stand up straight, with knees slightly bent, feet hip distance apart
- Clasp your hand behind your back with your arm extended
- Lift your arms toward the ceiling until you begin to feel the stretch
- Hold for 30 seconds
- Stand up straight, with knee slightly bent, feet hip distance apart
- Bend right arm at elbow joint and move arm across the chest
- Place left hand on the right elbow to support arm during this phase of the stretch
- Feel the stretch in your right arm and shoulder, hold for 30 seconds
- With left hand on the right elbow, lift the right arm next to your head
- Position right fingers so they touch the shoulder blade area
- Use the left hand on your right elbow to support the arm during this phase of the stretch.
- Feel the stretch in the triceps, hold for 30 seconds and release
- Perform this stretch again on the opposite side, using the right hand to stretch the left side
- Stand up straight, with feet hip distance apart
- Grab hold of a stationary object with one hand for support
- Bend right leg at knee and grasp your right foot with your right hand
- Position both knees next to each other
- Push hips forward
- Feel the stretch in the right quadriceps, hold for 30 seconds, release
- Perform this stretch again on the opposite side, bending the left leg to stretch the left quadriceps
- Lie on your back, keeping your back flat and your eyes focused upward
- Grasp the back of your right thigh with both hands and (the right leg bent) pull that thigh into a 90-degree position vs the ground.
- Slowly straighten your right knee
- Pull your leg closer to your chest until you feel the stretch in your right hamstring but DON’T OVERDO IT!!
- Hold for 30 seconds
- Perform this stretch again on the opposite side, raising the left leg to stretch the left hamstring
- Lie on your back, keeping your back flat and your eyes focused upward
- Cross your legs just as you might while sitting in a chair
- Grasp the “under” leg with both hands and pull the knee towards your chest until you feel the stretch in your buttocks and hips
- Hold for 30 seconds
- Perform this stretch again on the opposite side
- The gastrocnemius muscle along with the soleus is located on the back of the calf. We want to stretch both muscles
- Lean against a wall or other stationary object, both palms against the object
- Your right leg is back, several feet from the wall, your heel firmly positioned on the floor
- Your left leg is slightly bent at the knee about halfway between your back leg and the wall
- Start with your back straight and gradually lunge forward until you feel a GENTLE stretch in your calf
- Hold for 30 seconds
- Perform this stretch again on the opposite side, left leg back to stretch the left gastrocnemius
- Stand close to a wall or other stationary object, both palms against the object
- Step back with the right foot so that it’s a couple of feet away from the wall, your left foot should be positioned halfway between the wall and your right foot
- Gradually lean into the wall with both knees slightly, as though you’re squatting or beginning to sit down, until you feel a GENTLE stretch in your calf
- Hold for 30 seconds
- Perform this stretch again on the opposite side, left leg back to stretch the left soleus
